Actor Geoffrey Rush wins record payout

Australian actor Geoffrey Rush has been awarded a record defamation payment against a News Corp tabloid after it accused him in reports of inappropriate behaviour.

The $A2.8 million ($NZ2.9 million) defamation payment is the largest in Australian history.

Australia's Federal Court ordered that an Australian arm of News Corp pay the Oscar-winning actor $A1.98 million for past and future economic loss, in addition to an initial $A850,000 payment awarded in April this year court documents showed on Thursday.

A News Corp spokeswoman did not immediately respond to emailed and telephoned requests for comment. Rush's lawyer declined to comment.

Rush (67) had said the articles in the Daily Telegraph of Sydney were hastily compiled because the newspaper had wanted an Australian angle on accusations of sexual assault levelled at US film producer Harvey Weinstein.

Under the headline "KING LEER", and in later articles, the paper had said Rush, playing the title role of a 2015 Sydney Theatre Company production of Shakespeare's King Lear, had been accused by a co-star of unspecified inappropriate conduct.

The actor who won an Oscar in 1997 for his role in Shine and has since appeared in the Pirates of the Caribbean films, said the stories implied he was a "major pervert" or guilty of major depravity.

In handing down his decision in April, Justice Michael Wigney called the stories "recklessly irresponsible" and "sensationalist journalism of the worst kind, the very worst kind".

The newspaper said this month there were 16 grounds for appeal, and that Wigney's conduct of the case "gave rise to an apprehension of bias".

Wigney also dismissed an application by News Corp that he recuse himself.

Australia has among the world's strictest defamation laws.

Actress Rebel Wilson was awarded $A4.6 million in damages from Germany's Bauer Media which was found to have defamed her in a serious of articles, before that was cut to $A600,000 on appeal last year.

Local journalism matters - now more than ever

As the Covid-19 pandemic brings the world into uncharted waters, Otago Daily Times reporters and photographers continue to bring you the stories that matter. For more than 158 years our journalists have provided readers with local news you can trust. This is more important now than ever.

As advertising drops off during the pandemic, support from our readers is crucial. You can help us continue to bring you news you can trust by becoming a supporter.